I've Got a Friend In You
by Originals143
Summary: Sometimes, you feel like opening up to some other trustworthy person, apart from your best friend or soul-mate. He did the same, for he found himself empathizing with her, and trusted her with some of the deepest emotions hidden within him. (Warning : This is NOT what everyone likes or wants to read.)


**|: I've Got a Friend In You :|**

**A/N : **The idea behind this story is quite simple and self-explanatory. People seem to have forgotten Daya completely. No, I am not kidding here. Daya, our very own Daya! People have been SO engrossed in adoring Abhijeet, that even Daya is being treated as nothing more than Abhijeet's best friend. His self-dependent Superman image seems to be drowning somewhere. And whether or not you believe it, it hurts me! Yes, it does. The way it is being shown that Daya is nothing without Abhijeet, it is JUST not how our immensely powerful and strong door-breaker is!

Also, people who happily love to believe that Tarika is the wall between Abhijeet and Daya, just WHY would she be one? I mean, how's Abhijeet and Tarika's relationship and Abhijeet and Daya's friendship related? I have always felt that Daya and Tarika share a very good rapport irrespective of their relationship with Abhijeet. So, the question of anyone becoming a wall between the other two never arises.

Before starting with the story, PLEASE bear one thing in mind. Daya is NOT a helpless, vulnerable, cissy little crybaby, who needs Abhijeet at every step of his life! He is a SELF-DEPENDENT, strong-willed, resilient, senior inspector who CAN manage things by himself.

I really don't understand what's the need to show him as a wounded, frightened child EVERY time he's rescued after being kidnapped? Is he a toddler, who can't talk, walk, eat, sleep or breathe by himself? Please, for the love of God, he is an experienced, brave, freaking CID officer, who knows how to take care of himself.

Is Daya NOTHING without Abhijeet? Can't he even breathe if Abhijeet is not around him EVERY single second? Isn't he capable of handling himself after being kidnapped? Then WHY is he shown as the poor, pitiable little brother who bawls his eyes out if there's no sight of his big brother? Again, HE IS A SENIOR CID OFFICER! I guess, being one, he should know how to tackle hurdles like kidnapping.

I am sorry, but Daya is JUST not the one who has to cry over Abhijeet's shoulder, and who needs Abhijeet to comfort him. Agreed that he finds solace in Abhijeet, but THERE IS A FREAKING LIMIT!

PLEASE! It would be appreciated if Daya is being shown as the strong superman, who can manage at least SOMETHING without Abhijeet, rather than a sad, helpless kid who sticks to Abhijeet's shoulder for support. This is JUST not how Daya's Superman image supposed to be portrayed.

Even though Abhijeet is the most important person in Daya and Tarika's respective lives, they need some time alone for themselves sometimes. And it's OK to confide in some other trustworthy person once in a while.

Aah well, here I go..

Warning : This story DOES NOT contain Abhijeet.

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The cool breeze caressed his face, as he jogged in the clear sands, the cap of his sweatshirt slightly bouncing along. He smiled at the golden waters reflecting the morning sunlight, as the waves mildly crashed against the shore.

'_Not a bad idea to have such a refreshing start to the day.' _Daya thought to himself. With the nerve-wrecking pile of work and a couple of complicated cases handled the previous day, he enjoyed every bit of the soothing weather.

He had not even jogged a considerable amount of distance, than he saw a small kid trying to build a small castle in the damp sand, humming a tune to himself. The boy seemed completely at himself, oblivious of the surroundings, and Daya couldn't help being amused.

Needless to say, he turned in the direction of the boy and bent down considerably, so that the little kid can have a clear vision of him. "Hi!" He smiled, and the boy momentarily raised himself from his architectural work. "Hello!" He gave a warm smile in return, and returned back to his half-built sand-art.

"You seem all alone." He cast a cursory glance in all the directions to look if the boy had a companion. Finally he settled his vision down. "Mind if I join you?" He asked, flashing his sweetest smile, the way he did for all the kids he had come across.

The boy merely shrugged and tilted his head. "It's wet!" He pointed to the sand. "Ahh, doesn't matter!" Daya shook his head, and sat down besides the kid. "That's a beautiful castle you've built there!" He exclaimed, patting the sand to give it a smooth curve.

"Well, thank you!" The boy's eyes twinkled as he looked up at him. "Where are your parents?" He again shot a quick glimpse in every corner, before the boy answered. "I don't have parents. I am an orphan." The boy seemed unnerved by the question, and replied in the same casual tone.

Daya, however, got thoroughly distressed upon learning that. "Ohh!" A sigh escaped his lips and his forehead produced a deep frown. "Where do you stay?" His voice down downcast.

"There, in that orphanage." The boy pointed out to the huge three-storeyed house, which stood alone in a corner, against the tall buildings. "That is where we all kids stay. Ever since my parents died in a car accident five years back, I've been staying there." The boy supplied in a plain undeceived tone.

As for Daya, everything suddenly greyed out and his brain started displaying flashes of his past. His hands reached to his head, as a turmoil started building up in his mind, and he started sweating. _Orphan... Parents... Accident._

The pain at the back of his head deepened, as the waves had now started lashing the shore more harshly, creating a thunderous roar.

"Uncle? Are you OK, Uncle?" The mild worried voice of the boy brought him back to reality, and he could feel a tiny hand over his shoulder. "Uhh, yes!" He shook his head vigorously, to clear the turbulence and gathered himself. He obviously didn't want the kid to know about his agony. Besides, he was much stronger than this. He had to be. He had tackled numerous barricades in the past, each one more fatal than the other.

"Don't you.. you know.. feel lonely?" He grimaced. "Initially, I did. I cried, I wanted to run away. But they took good care of me!" The boy smiled. "Plus I have made a lot of friends here, and I get to go to school. So, well.. I'd just say... life's all good!" He shrugged.

For a minute, Daya seemed completely at a loss of words. He was taken aback by the optimism the boy had in him. The way he had accepted his life, the way he had mustered the courage to stay strong. Daya was bemused at the way the boy had such positivity at a mere age of eight, and he felt immense pride. Somewhere, he sensed a strong bond between himself and the small kid.

"What are you doing here?" He raised his eyebrows, ruffling the boy's hair. "I love coming here. It's all so beautiful! The beach... the waters... the people!" The boy smiled distantly. Daya looked around and nodded in agreement.

"It's all done!" The boy pointed to his sand-art, poking the last hole in it. Daya looked at the smoothly built tiny castle and smiled. For he knew that the waves would wash it off, and the boy would build a new one the next day. Like a new beginning. And the boy loved doing it.

The clock at the tower opposite the orphanage gave a loud resonating bang, and the boy hurriedly got up. "I have to leave. Will get late for school." He dusted the sand off his trousers, and frowned as he remembered something.

"By the way, I am Rahul. And.. you?" He narrowed his eyes at the senior inspector, who returned a smile. "Daya. My name is Daya." He extended his hand, which seemed huge in comparison to Rahul's skinny one. "Hi!" The kid seemed pleased to meet him, and shook hands with him happily.

Finally, he ran off leaving an amused Daya behind.

"Hey!" He was distracted by a familiar voice, and turned around. "Hey, Tarika!" He was surprised. "What brings you here?" He wanted to know, since he knew Tarika wasn't the one to waste the morning in jogging. She never needed to.

"Well, me and Purvi carelessly hogged on pastries yesterday! So, I thought I'd just burn those extra calories." She shrugged sheepishly, her curls teasing her cheeks in the breeze.

"Ohh! I wish your boyfriend was the same!" He muttered under his breath, and Tarika sensed something bothering him. "Is everything fine?" She asked straightaway.

"Uhh, yeah, I am good. Just met a boy sometime back, and I wondered if I could just relate to him." He gave a smug smile, and Tarika frowned in confusion. Daya narrated his encounter with Rahul to her, and she gave a soft laugh.

"That's very heroic on his part. But knowing you, you're much stronger than you yourself believe." She said in a modest tone, prodding him in the shoulder as they started walking together.

"Let's just say, I have seen it all, been through it and handled it right from the beginning. When there was no one with me. When I was all alone." He looked sideways at her, as they started walking together. "So, yeah, I tackled the initial days of my hellish life all by myself!" He proclaimed, and a distant smile made way on his lips. "Though Abhijeet was always there, whenever I needed him." He said, and Tarika nodded empathetically. They were now sitting on the rocks, facing the deep endless sea.

She stared at the waves hitting the shore for a long time, before she spoke. "Yeah, he's there when I need him too." She sighed deeply, closing her eyes, to feel the sweet smell of the wet sand. "But, still, I feel like staying alone many-a-times!" Her voice went downcast, and Daya looked sideways at her, in an attempt to get a clear picture of what she was thinking. "Umm, is there any sort of problem between you two? Everything's fine, right?" He asked warily, though he was certain she would give an affirmative answer, for if anything was wrong, he'd be the first person to know.

"No, no! Nothing of that sort!" Tarika reassured hastily. She didn't want to give him the slightest of doubt about his best friend and his relationship with her. He definitely wouldn't like that.

"He always says what I want to hear. He looks for ways to see a smile on my face..." She laughed slightly as she continued. "Not to mention, the '_Tarika ji_' gets a bit annoying sometimes. But, yeah, all's good!" She looked back at Daya with a deep conviction, and he seemed satisfied.

She sighed deeply, and an indefinable sadness suddenly seemed to fill her heart. "But, I don't know. Sometimes, I just feel like staying all alone. Isolate myself entirely from the rest of the world. Not talk or listen to anyone. Just... be _me_. It's like, something is missing. Something is calling me, dying to see me." A frown creased her forehead, and she took a couple of deep breaths to get that temporary relief again. "And that feeling just goes as it comes." She shook her head, unable to explain any further.

"Tell me, is it wrong to get such a feeling?" Her questioning gaze turned towards her friend for an answer, and he found himself sympathizing with her.

"Not at all!" He kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "In fact, I feel the same way. And that too, almost every day." He smiled. "Right since my childhood, I have learned of ways to handle the obstacles luring in my way. I lost my parents, when I couldn't even make sense of what life is. I grew up in an orphanage, made and lost friends, had my share of troubles." He gave a wry smile, looking at the waves, as they crashed the shore.

"The first time I got the feeling that I have a family, was when ACP Sir comforted when I lost one of my friends in a shootout. That was the time I learned what a father is!" He sighed, as his heart sailed through the sea of nostalgia, building up memories right in front of him.

It was now, Tarika's turn to soothe him, and she kept a hand over his broad shoulder, the way he had done, a few minutes ago. "You know what Tarika? After being in the CID for over sixteen years, I can't say I don't have a family. I have everything that that one can ask for. A stern yet caring father, a best friend on whom I can count at unearthly hours, a friend who's always there to bring a smile on my face whenever I feel down." His smile seemed to create the much-needed warmth in the atmosphere, and Tarika couldn't help getting emotional.

She suddenly remembered something, and twitched her eyebrows, her face producing a sad pout. "And me? I am nothing?" She asked way too innocently, and Daya chuckled in spite of himself. "Of course, how can I forget you? You're the reason Abhijeet has learned to live again. To overcome his troublesome past, and to start a new life. Which I have been trying to achieve all these years. You really _are_ important.. to both of us! And... I know you are as good a listener and a friend as Abhijeet." He gave her a light affectionate prod, and she scowled, catching hold of the rock beside her, to avoid falling off. "Ouch!" He hastily pulled her back, and apologized. Considering her tiny figure, he realized he had been a bit too strong with her.

"But he really is your Achilles heel, right? I mean, no one can take his rightful position in your life!" Her curls spilled around her face, as the breeze blew in them with a sudden force. "Yeah!" He mouthed, smiling back at her, as she struggled to fix her hair, frowning irritatedly in the process.

"Even I need to be all by myself sometimes. Not to be disturbed by anyone. Not even Abhijeet." He stared down at the rocks, to stop the inexplicable feeling which was hovering in his head. "And trust me, it relieves me. Of all the stress. So, yes, it's absolutely all right to get that feeling." A wide grin appeared on his face, and she laughed in spite of herself. "We can say.. we are sailing in the same boat!" She proclaimed, and he nodded in agreement.

As soon as they started feeling better, they got to their feet and straightened themselves, dusting the sand off their track pants. "Ohh! Please inform that I'll be coming late today. I have to go to the..." Tarika started to speak, but stopped midway, when she couldn't find Daya alongside. After scanning half the beach for a few minutes, she saw him heading towards the street food counter. Wondering why had he headed there, she raced in the direction to find the answer. Her jaw settled nicely on the ground, her eyes widening to twice their normal size, when she saw him taking a plate of sea-side junk food from one of the vendors.

"You binge on junk food after jogging for miles?" Tarika stared at her friend incredulously. "Well, they serve the best here." Daya gave a sheepish grin, and she smacked her forehead, rolling her eyes in exasperation. He gestured her to have a bite from his plate. "Uhh, no thanks!" Tarika flatly refused the offer. "I prefer staying away from such stuff." She shook her head, raising her palm to convey her displeasure.

"No wonder Abhijeet's stomach's protruding day by day!" Daya scoffed, leaning over to grab the bottle of water placed on the counter. "Now, where did _he_ come from?" Tarika squirmed in confusion.

"It's quite logical." Daya started explaining, once he had finished gulping down nearly half the bottle. "Whenever you both go for a dinner date, you must be hardly eating one fourth of the food served. Which leaves Abhijeet with no choice, but to finish the rest!" He shrugged nonchalantly, feeling slightly proud to explain the theory behind his best friend's increasing weight.

"Not my fault that he doesn't exercise." Tarika flung her hands in the air, and started walking, as Daya threw the empty plastic plate aside in the waste-bin, racing over to catch up with her.

"Thanks, by the way!" Daya smiled down at Tarika, as they headed towards the road. Tarika eyed him with a nonplussed look, shaking her head to toss the stray curls out of her face. "Abhijeet is really lucky to have you. In every way. _I_, however, am lucky to a good listener for a friend." He smiled. "Thanks for listening to me."

Tarika, however, gave him a thoroughly offended look and standing with her hands on her hips, glinted dangerously at him. "Do you ever give Abhijeet that overwhelming gratitude of 'Thanks for listening to me', every single time you open up to him?" She snapped, and Daya shook his head vigorously, like a five year old kid.

"So, shut up!" Tarika grunted, pointing her finger at him, and he leaned back, pretending to be afraid. "I spoke too soon!" He grinned mischievously, and Tarika's eyebrows perked up. "What?"

"That Abhijeet is lucky to have you!" He snorted, and burst into peals of laughter upon seeing the scandalized look on her face. "You..." She growled, and marched towards him, thumping her fists in the air.

"Ok, ok!" Daya panted, after being chased for a good ten minutes by her, and bent up to catch his breath. "Sorry!" He mumbled. Seizing the opportunity, Tarika gave him a quick punch in the shoulder, and they laughed off walking towards their respective paths.

**~~ The End ~~**

**A/N :** I know you guys are gonna slander my throats for this, but well.. I don't care. I have gotten used to it. So, I had promised someone that I won't talk about Abhijeet. But, I really can't help it, considering all that's being going around lately.

Before I start, please bear in mind that for the love of God, I do not HATE Abhijeet. There is a HUGE difference between HATING someone and DISLIKING someone. Please learn to understand that first. Also, this is about ABHIJEET, and not ADITYA SRIVASTAV. There is a HUGE difference between them as well. Sadly, some people fail to realize the difference between real and reel.

Yeah, so a few weeks ago, some anonymous person had raised a question : "Don't know why people hate Abhijeet?"

I am sorry, but WHAT exactly is this question supposed to mean? And HOW is the question relevant, please answer me! Or in simple words, just tell me, why does a person dislike someone? Simply because he/she finds some negative characteristics in that person. Is there anything wrong with that? I don't think so. Everyone has the right to love/hate/respect/dislike each other. Then WHY is it considered a universal offense, if I just say that dislike Abhijeet.

If you love someone, you have to accept his/her negatives as well. Every person HAS something good about him/her, and something bad. The basic problem here is, people just don't want to see anything wrong in Abhijeet. Or simply, people tend to IGNORE his negatives, just because he is Abhijeet. And, I am not kidding here. People have literally become of the opinion, that he, being Abhijeet, can never be wrong.

I am sorry, but I cannot do that. I do accept the negative aspect of a person, even though I love him. I absolutely ADORE Ranbir Kapoor. But, sometimes even I feel that he is behaves stupid. I totally respect Shah Rukh Khan. But, I accept that even he can be wrong sometimes.

Again, I DO NOT hate Abhijeet. I believe he is a brilliant CID officer and an amazing friend. But, I just cannot ignore his noticeably rude behaviour towards Freddy. No, I am NOT being biased towards Freddy. If it would have been ANYONE in place of him, I would have reacted the same way. He might be a "Senior Inspector", but that does not give him any right to call Dhenchu a "machchar"!

The BIGGEST problem here, is why is there a partiality ONLY towards Abhijeet?

_I have told numerous times, that I don't like Muskaan. How come no one has a problem with that?_

_I keep on saying that I don't like Nikhil. Why doesn't anyone bat an eyelid on that?_

The theory concludes that there is a big discrimination being done between Abhijeet and the rest of the world.

WHY IS IT ONLY ABOUT ABHIJEET? Tell me one thing. Who is Abhijeet? Is he your friend, your relative, your Godfather, or WHAT? No, na? He is just a normal celebrity/character like everyone else. Then why is it necessary to create a nationwide issue if someone just SAYS that he/she doesn't like Abhijeet?

I absolutely adore Vivek and Tasha. But, I don't care if you hate them. Because they are not, in any way, related to me, that someone hating them would affect every single nerve in my body.

_People are allowed to create entire pages and forums dedicated ONLY for hating/abusing/insulting Purvi and Tarika, but I am not allowed to just SAY that I dislike Abhijeet._

_People are allowed to hate/mock/unnecessarily blame Shreya and Nikhil, but I am not allowed to just SAY that I dislike Abhijeet._

_I am sure many of you are a part of those forums and pages which abuse Purvi and Tarika. But, still you don't feel like raising your voice there. After all, who cares about Purvi and Tarika? If someone says a single wrong word against Abhijeet, a world war HAS to take place!_

_Why? Purvi, Tarika, Shreya and Nikhil are not humans or what? Or is it that ONLY Abhijeet deserves respect?_

Is that how it is supposed to be?

At least I don't waste my time writing irrelevant nonsense against Abhijeet, just as some jobless complainers do about Purvi and Tarika. I have better things to do in life.

In fact, of late, people have started blaming Shreya for trying to hit on Daya. If Shreya hits on Daya, she is at fault and has to be hated. But, if Abhijeet aimlessly flirts with Tarika, it's the creatives' fault and Abhijeet is not at all wrong here. _Note, I do not like Shreya and her silly flirting, but I am just pointing out the discrimination._

Doesn't it make me a CIDian if I don't like Abhijeet? I like Freddy, Vivek and Rajat more than anyone. So, am I not a CIDian?

I just want to say here that, I don't care if you love Abhijeet. I don't care if you don't want to see the negatives in him. I don't care if you want to stay under the impression that Abhijeet can never be wrong. You can do whatever you wish. I don't care if you idolize him, adore him, and fantasize about him. You have the whole right to do that.

The least I wish for is, please RESPECT the fact there can be people existing who DON'T like him. Please let them live with that. I just want to ask, can I just live peacefully, if I just say that I don't like Abhijeet, or don't find him fascinating? Please! I cannot force myself to like anyone, just for the sake of it, just because the whole world worships him/her. Call me insane here, but that's how I am. And I would love to remain that way. There is no need to create a fuss over it! Thank you.

This time, I am not gonna say "Please read and review". Rather, I'd say "Please DON'T review just for the sake of it". I have completely lost trust on the audience. Honestly. So, if you don't like this, or don't feel like reading it, please don't force yourself to read or review.

Some phrases have been adapted from PR's stories. Thanks again, PR.


End file.
